hello september, i miss august already

back to school this week has felt a little frenetic.

so, let's all rewind to a few weeks ago when vacation was still in full swing.

matt's parents took our girls for the night and we went to l.a.

to see our dear friends jeff & jenny (and their awesome son henry),

hit up as many galleries as possible,

and of course,

eat.

we went to mario batali's osteria mozza.

two words:

yum and yum.

.

the only opening they had was right when they opened at 5:30, 

so we got there nice and early. 

we decided to get the pasta tasting menu, which was amazing & delicious:

five pasta courses, plus two desserts!

the portions are smaller, so i felt full but not stuffed

(although these pictures look deceptively large)

oh, and an extra little surprise something to get things started...

matt savoring the deliciousness

and then, dessert!

the food was absolutely delicious, and the timing between each course was perfect - it didn't come too quickly, but it also didn't lag.

most of all, i loved the time to just sit with matt and talk about life. you know, often it seems like our life is so busy (this week is a perfect example) that even if we see each other a lot that we are operating more like a well oiled machine - helping each other with the girls, get whatever work we need done, packing snacks, doing laundry, and so on. obviously that kind of tag teaming is necessary to get through the week, especially with small children.

but i guess i've been reminded lately that it is so vital to have moments like this- a leisurely meal or a long drive or a free afternoon - where you can get past talking about the to-do list for the day or the week and begin talking about the ways you relate to each other, your hopes for your family or your relationship, the things you've been thinking about lately. i'm not saying those conversations don't ever happen in the context of a typical week, but it is so easy for life to just happen, to get sucked into a routine and to lose those bigger conversations. when you finally claim that time together, it is as if you are pulled back on course.

here's to making more of those moments with the people in our lives that we love (significant others, yes, but also just those people around us who make us better), and having longer meals with lots of laughter and conversation!

happy friday! 

happy september!

happy eating!